The PATROL SHIRT, Weather Cloth and Chambray, mfsc “Sea Hunt”, Spring 2014

 

 

Patrol Shirt: Weather Cloth & USN Chambray
‘Sea Hunt’ Spring 2014

If you have planned, for the upcoming weekend, to go up the Rio da Dúvida (the ‘River of Doubt’ for Theodore Roosevelt, referring to its unexplored meander) to confirm which way it flows, you might want to opt for the ‘Jungle’ Patrol Shirt. You never know, you might need to hide from that party of un-contacted and rightfully aggravated Cinta Larga people. As they are greeting your Sunday outfit with a welcoming volley of curare-dipped arrows, an olive green shirt might help you blend in that 130 feet tall patch of rubber trees.
That moment when you realize you should have listened to the amazing Cândido Rondon and chilled with a glass of cauim at home…

 

Alternatively, you might go for the ‘Arctic’ Patrol Shirt, should you want to defy the warnings of the Mount Hood rangers lecturing you on the very limited insulating properties of cotton. Indeed, cotton, the “cloth of Death” as it is known in Evac and Rescue Team circles around the World, will not be your best companion on the Timberline Trail. You’ll look good though. Dead, but good. Please note how I have now learned how to spell ‘Arctic‘.

If you’re going UP the gangplank after the AATGA call (“All Ashore That’s Going Ashore”), you are probably the ‘Chambray’ type.

The featured shirt of our “Sea Hunt” Spring 2014 collection was inspired by several vintage shirts from our dusty archives.
Throwing military/safari/uniform details in the MF® blender, the resulting PATROL SHIRT is an apparently simple looking shirt. It features some fancy details however, most of which only the wearer will notice. Take a look at the bottom of the button placket, on the inside, and you will see some interesting folds and challenging pattern making magic.
The chambray version displays a few inches of selvedge on both sides of the front panels, a nice tricky detail hidden from sight for those who choose to wear their shirts tucked-in.
Elbow patches, box-pleat pockets, expansion ease-pleats, rounded wrist cuffs… and other details complete our Patrol Shirt.
After a meeting with the MFTFD (MF® Trend Forcasting Dept.), we thought there was no need for an enormous embroidered rhinestoned silkscreened graphic in the back of the shirt, so we left that simple. Rooooaaaarrr…

Sorry about that.
Anyways, the narrow ½ cm flat felled side seams will also not go un-noticed by vintage clothing aficionados. These old narrow width ‘caballo’ machines are as common as frog hair wigs and are a prized recent addition to the finely tuned equipment used by the small family owned factory crafting these Patrol Shirts in Japan.
I also chose to do without épaulettes, for a more casual and less obvious military/safari feel.

The Patrol Shirt comes in three fabric options.
What we are calling ‘weather cloth’ is a reference to a tight plain weave popeline type of fabric quite in use in the old days for outdoor gear, as well as in the military. ‘Weather Cloth’ took different forms according to weight, fabric content and coating. These types of fabrics are sometimes referred to as ‘Storm Cloth’, ‘Sierra Cloth’, ‘Mountain Cloth’ and are known for their windbreaking qualities. They are at times treated for waterproofing.
Our ‘Weather Cloth’ in a fine lightweight 100% cotton popeline, uncoated and untreated, in two color ways, natural and olive green.
The third fabric option is borrowed from the Buzz Rickson’s catalog. I really liked Toyo’s WW2 USN chambray fabric and we helped a few rolls fall-off the “Deuce and a Half” for our own Spring 2014 mfsc production.

a) “Arctic” Weather Cloth: crispy all cotton tight weave popeline, unbleached white. Woven in Japan.
b) “Jungle” Weather Cloth: crispy all cotton tight weave popeline, ‘washed’ olive green. Woven in Japan.
c)BR’s USN Chambray: Vintage type 100% cotton blue chambray fabric, slubby and sturdy, selvedge with white/blue line ID, milled in Japan.
The ‘Sea Hunt” Patrol Shirt is designed in California by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in Japan in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co.

NOTE: Production of the ‘Patrol Shirt’ does NOT come with someone’s name stenciled on them. Product photos are perso shirts, recently issued and custom marked.

SPECS

FABRICS:
a) “Arctic” Weather Cloth: crispy all cotton tight weave popeline, unbleached white. Woven in Japan. The Arctic option features olive green corozo buttons and tonal stitching.
b) “Jungle” Weather Cloth: crispy all cotton tight weave popeline, ‘washed’ olive green. Woven in Japan. The Jungle option features maple brown corozo buttons and tonal stitching.
c) BR’s USN Chambray: Vintage type 100% cotton blue chambray fabric, slubby and sturdy, selvedge with white/blue line ID, milled in Japan. The Chambray option features maple brown corozo buttons and olive green stitching.

DETAILS:
* All original mfsc pattern, inspired by vintage military, uniform and safari type shirting.
* Comfortable fit.
* Double box-pleat chest pockets, buttoned flap.
* 1940’s style collar pattern.
* Early custom uniform tailoring button placket.
* Elbow reinforcement patches.
* Side gussets.
* Double front & back expansion EZ-pleats on shoulder yoke.
* Corozo buttons, aka ‘ivory nut’, 100% wood.
* High stitch count 100% cotton stitching.
* Vintage ½ cm wide flat-felled seam side construction.
* Double inside labeling: simple ‘minimalist’ neck patch (unbleached popeline stamped with sizing), and woven ‘Sea Hunt’ rayon label on bottom front panel (inside). Both to accommodate your own custom markings, if desired.
* Made in Japan

WASHING/SIZING:
All three fabrics should shrink to approximately the same fit. Having said that, both Arctic and Jungle weather cloth options do, but the chambray version feels a tad bit roomier. We have not, however, shrink-tested our samples with hot water/heat-dryer, which might even out the differences. If not, finding the Sacred Ark will be the only way to figure out why.
Until then, we recommend an original cold soak, spin dry and line dry.
Further care should be the low maintenance combo mild detergent/gentle cycle/cold water/line dry, as needed.

I wear a Medium in the three options, with a bit more room in the Chambray.

Please refer to chart for cold rinse/line dry measurements.

 

Available RAW/unwashed.
SIZES:
Small
Medium
Large
X-Large
XX-Large
 Retail
a) Arctic Weather Cloth $299.95
b) Jungle Weather Cloth $299.95
c) BR’s USN Chambray $329.95

Available from www.misterfreedom.com
Please call 323-653-2014 or email sales@misterfreedom.com with any questions not answered above.
Thank you sincerely for your support.

Comments

comments